Overview

Transporting listeners to the salons and concert halls of eighteenth-century Austria, Mozart's Last Aria pulls back the curtain on a world of powerful secrets and powerful men-from the enigmatic Freemasons to the secret police to the Austrian Emperor himself-in a detailed story of soaring music, burning passion, and mortal danger. In December 1791, Madame Maria Anna Berchtold von Sonnenburg, known to her family as Nannerl, receives a letter from her sister-in-law Costanze with devastating news: Nannerl's brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is dead. But Constanze's letter carries more than just news of the great composer's death. Months earlier, Mozart had confided to his wife that he believed his life was in danger, and on his deathbed announced that he had been poisoned, though he was never able to name his murderer. Now, as Nannerl sets off for Vienna to pay her final respects, she finds herself entering a web of suspicion and intrigue involving rival composers, jealous lovers, and sinister creditors, in which even Mozart's masonic brothers-including Prince Lichnowsky-harbor dark secrets about their one-time friend. And as Nannerl digs deeper into the mystery surrounding Mozart's demise, the tempo quickens, and her brother's black fate threatens to engulf Nannerl as well.

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9780792782162

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Reviews

Combines mystery and historical intrigue with a timeless love story...A beautiful book illuminated by the author's own musical background that moves slowly and deliberately to a fine conclusion. -- Kirkus Reviews Rees, author of the Omar Yussef mystery series, set in contemporary Palestine, intrepidly re-creates the world in which Mozart lived, a world filled with periwigs, corsets, and concert halls. His creative interpretations of the musician's operas, including The Magic Flute, bring new vigor to Mozart's music and life while maintaining a believable grasp on history. An excellent choice for mystery fans and historical-fiction readers. -- Booklist Replete with biographical detail and musical references, this novel animates Mozart's life and times with a varied cast of patrons, lovers, and villains...A solid choice for readers who like fiction about historical figures caught up in suspenseful intrigues. -- Library Journal Matt Rees cleverly weaves music, crime, and conspiracy into a sumptuous historical whodunit, set against the decadent backdrop of eighteenth-century Vienna. -- Marie Claire Mozart fans and code crackers will enjoy the clever musical riddle. A very readable historical mystery romp. -- Times (London) The Da Vinci Code, but this time with Masons and musical manuscripts. -- NPR.org Mozart, music, and murder seamlessly blend together in this fascinating historical mystery. -- Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author

Author Information

Matt Rees is an award-winning British crime novelist whose writing has been compared with the work of Graham Greene, John le Carre, Georges Simenon, and Henning Mankell. The French magazine L'Express calls Rees the Dashiell Hammett of Palestine. Rula Lenska, the daughter of a Polish count, has undertaken many national tours, including The Vagina Monologues, An Inspector Calls, and Dangerous to Know. Other stage appearances include Masterpieces, 84 Charing Cross Road, and Pericles. She also played Krystal in EastEnders and has made many guest appearances on television.

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